Jamila McIntosh
New York-based
I make films, photographs, and objects that pay attention to everyday life.
My practice draws from observational cinema and participant observation. Through filmmaking, photography, and making by hand, I explore how people create meaning through ritual, performance, family histories, clothing, food, travel, and the ordinary objects they keep.
Somewhere between filmmaker, actor, photographer, and maker, I move between observing and participating. My work asks how identities are performed, how memories become stories, and how relationships evolve over time.
My work unfolds over years. I often return to the same people, places, and questions, treating filmmaking as a long-term practice of observation rather than documentation.
The bags and jewelry I make emerge from this same practice.
Objects made through the pratice of attention.
Whether I am making a film, photographing a moment, or sewing by hand, I see each medium as a way of paying attention.
Selected clients include Gregory's Coffee, ACE Hotel, Cartier, Fresh Beauty, and Warby Parker.
I collaborate with brands, publications, and artists looking for thoughtful visual storytelling rooted in observation and everyday life.